Seth Grahme-Smith has been hired to write the latest draft of the upcoming Tim Burton/Johnny Depp film Dark Shadows. Grahame-Smith is the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Dark Shadows is based off the 1966-71 ABC gothic soap opera that featured Jonathan Frid as vampire Barnabas Collins along with (per Wikipedia) other supernatural creatures like werewolves, ghosts, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel (both into the past and into the future), and a parallel universe. According to Deadline, filming is set to begin in January. Depp will (obviously) star as Collins. I wonder if Burton will find some way to cast Helena Bonham Carter and have Danny Elfman do the music.

Hit the jump for more Grahame-Smith and his other projects.

It seems like Grahame-Smith’s gimmick is to take something/someone revered from the 19th century and add a genre horror monster. I’ll give Mr. Grahame-Smith the benefit of the doubt since I haven’t read his books, but the premises of both make them sound a little too calculated to be fun. I’ll also give him the benefit of the doubt since the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombie has Natalie Portman on board to star and produce with David O. Russell (Three Kings) set to write and direct.

Burton is also producing an adaptation of Grahame-Smith’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter along with Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted). Grahame-Smith wrote the screenplay for the film, and Deadline reports that Bekmambetov is likely to make the movie his next directing effort. I’m sure as all of these films move through the pipeline, I’ll have to sit down and give his books a read.